Transcript Greek Dark Ages And Protogeometric Pottery

Greek Archaic Period 800-480 BC
Part 1: Orientalizing Pottery
750-650 BC
A Glance Back
• Mycenaean civilization ended around the 12th
century B.C.
• The Greek dark ages lasted from 1150-750
century B.C.
• The Geometric Period ranged from about
1050 – 700 BC
• A new phase began thereafter: Orientalizing
Period:
Orientalizing Pottery
• The Orientalizing period began approx. 750 BC
and ended in approx. 650 century B.C.
• During this period there was an increase in
trade between Greece, Egypt and Middle East.
This caused the cultures to borrow ideas from
each other and the Greek pottery reflected
this, hence the name “Orientalizing”, referring
to the Middle East and Egypt, not China.
What’s the difference?
Difference in Design
• There is a more realistic rendering of creatures
and humans on the pots
• Multiple figures are placed
all the way around the piece
Mythological creatures
• Images of sphinx’s and other Egyptian and
middle-eastern creatures of myth become
common due to influence
Difference in Methods
• Two different groups began to create
orientalizing pottery: Athenians and the
Corinthians
• The Corinthian orientalizing potter was known
as proto-Corinthian
• The Athenian orientalizing pottery was known
as proto-attic
Proto-Corinthian
• Proto-Corinthian became
much more advanced than
its Athenian counterpart
Proto-Attic
• Proto-Attic (Athenian) pottery
began later than the protoCorinthian .
• Their style was based on protoCorinthian and kept more of the
geometric designs of the last
period.
A look Forward
• These figures that are painted in black are the
first use of a style that will be used more often
in a later period known as black figure pottery
Archaic Period
Part 2: Black and Red Figure Vase
Painting
600-late 480 BC
Black Figure Vase Painting
• Common between 600’s-500’s BC.
– Just after the Orientalizing period.
• Technique:
– Silhouetted shapes were painted on a jar using a liquid clay
known as slip.
– Details on these shapes were produced by incising or
scratching into the slip.
– When fired, the image turned black, background remained
color of clay.
• Images were realistically portrayed.
– Designs on pots based on pot’s function.
Black Figure Vase Painting
• First art style to give rise to a significant
number of identifiable artists (sign their work)
– Exekias (500’s BC) famous black figure vase
painter.
• Many of his works feature key moments in the lives of
the gods
Black Figure Vase Painting
• Exekias: “Dionysus in a
ship”, 530 BC
– signed
(ΕΧΣΕΚΙΑΣ ΕΠΟΕΣΕ)
Black Figure Vase Painting
• Group E (550–525)A large,
self contained collection of
artisans, considered to be
the most important
anonymous group
producing black-figure Attic
pottery.
Hoplitodromos: Race with armor
Black Figure Vase Painting
• Focus on Mythological
scenes
Wrestling of Peleus and Atalanta for the funerary
games of king Pelias, 550 BC
Heracles kills the Nemean Lion, 560-540
BC
Red Figure Vase Painting
• Began 530 BC in Athens
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New experiment, paint slip on everything but the figure.
Allowed one to paint in details rather than incising them.
Replaced Black figure painting.
Name comes from reddish figures against black
background.
– Largest produces: Attica, S. Italy
– Attic red figure Vases exported to many areas.
• Produced in Athens: 40,000 specimens survive today.
• S. Italy: more than 20,000 survive today.
– Some vases can be ascribed to an individual or school
Red Figure Vase Painting
• Technique:
– It is the reverse of black figure technique.
– Paintings were applied to the shaped but unfired vessels
after they had dried to a leathery, near-brittle texture.
– The outlines of the intended figures were drawn either
with a blunt scraper, leaving a slight groove
– The space between figures was filled with a glossy grey
clay slip.
– The vases underwent triple-phase firing, during which the
glossy clay reached its characteristic black or black-brown
color
Red Figure Vase Painting
• The invention of the technique normally is
accredited to the Andokides Painter.
• The Pioneer Group: full exploitation of the
possibilities of the red-figure technique. active
between 520 and 500 BC
– Figures appeared in new perspectives, such as
frontal or rear views
– Foreshortening: used for “Perspective” (depth)
Red Figure Vase Painting
Athletes preparing for a competition, ascribed
to Euphronios (Pioneer Group), 510-500 BC
Warriors flanked by Hermes and Athena,
Andokides Painter, 530 BC.